MedLink Scholars - Research Participation Attestation Form

Purpose

This attestation confirms that all individuals participating in research projects under MedLink Scholars (MLS) understand and agree to comply with MLS's communication standards, deadlines, authorship expectations, payment requirements, and professional integrity guidelines.

By signing, you acknowledge that failure to comply may result in:

  • Immediate removal from the current project

  • Disqualification from future MLS projects

  • A formal report to the MLS Professionalism Committee

  • Potential notification to your academic institution

Communication Requirements

Primary Communication Platforms by Group:

Please note that these communication platforms are subject to change.

  • OrthoLink Scholars: Slack (Official channel, must respond to relevant messages within 24 hours)

  • GastroLink Scholars: Discord (Official server, must respond to relevant messages within 24 hours)

  • DermLink Scholars: Direct collaboration via Google Document comments and tags (must check for updates at least once daily)

General Communication Rules:

  1. Notification Settings: You must enable notifications for your group's platform and maintain active notification status throughout the project duration.

  2. Response Time Requirements:

    • Direct messages: Within 24 hours

    • Group announcements: Within 24 hours

    • Urgent project updates: Within 12 hours (marked as "URGENT")

  3. Communication With Editors: All communication with your assigned resident or attending physician must occur through the official group platform, unless they explicitly grant written permission for another method (i.e. text, email).

  4. Section Completion Protocol: When your section is complete, you must:

    • Add a timestamped comment in the shared Google document indicating completion

    • Notify the first author and resident editor via the primary communication platform

    • Provide a brief status update on any outstanding items

  5. Communication Etiquette:

    • Use professional language at all times

    • Clearly mark urgent vs. non-urgent communications

    • Provide context when asking questions

    • Use appropriate channels (avoid private messages for project-wide issues)

Deadlines & Workflow Expectations

Deadline Management:

  1. Firm Deadlines: All deadlines are final unless the resident or attending physician editor approves an extension at least 48 hours before the deadline.

  2. Staged Completion:  Authors of earlier sections must aim to finish 2-3 days before the main deadline to allow conclusion writers to complete their sections on time.

  3. Progress Updates: Authors must inform their 1st author/team of any obstacles to their assignment's completion.

  4. Quality Standards: All submissions must meet MLS quality benchmarks before being considered "complete."

Consequences for Non-Compliance:

  • 24-48 hour non-response: Formal warning and notification to physician editor

  • 48+ hour non-response: Risk of authorship demotion or project removal

  • Missed deadline without prior approval: Automatic review for project removal and ban for the next cycle of papers

Emergency Protocols:

If you experience illness, family emergencies, or unavoidable conflicts:

  1. Notify your first author and physician editor promptly 

  2. Provide expected duration of unavailability

  3. Propose alternative arrangements or timeline adjustments

Academic Integrity & Ethical Standards

Prohibited Activities:

  1. Plagiarism: Absolutely prohibited in any form

  2. Unauthorized AI Usage: AI tools may ONLY be used for:

    • Grammar and spell checking

    • Formatting assistance

    • Clarifying medical terminology definitions

    • AI may NOT be used for: Content generation, data analysis, literature synthesis, or writing any portion of your assigned section

  3. Fabrication or Falsification: Any manipulation or misrepresentation of data, sources, or research findings

  4. Unauthorized Collaboration: Completing another author's section without explicit permission from the first author and physician editor

Source and Citation Requirements:

  1. Source Verification: Only peer-reviewed, verifiable sources are acceptable, and must be hyperlinked in the reference section

  2. Citation Standards: Must follow journal-specific citation guidelines

  3. Reference Management: Use of citation management tools (Mendeley, Zotero, EndNote) is encouraged

  4. Conflict of Interest: Disclose any potential conflicts related to the research topic

Consequences:

Any breach of academic integrity will result in:

  • Immediate removal from the current project

  • Permanent disqualification from all future MLS opportunities

  • Formal report to the MLS Professionalism Committee

  • Potential notification to your medical school's academic integrity office

Project Initiation & Approval Process

Idea Submission:

  1. Paper ideas and abstracts must be submitted through the official MLS process

    1. Note that subsections of MLS may have different guidelines for submission

  2. All submissions require approval from MLS leadership before project initiation

  3. Changes to approved topics must be resubmitted for approval

Submission Requirements:

  1. Conference Submissions: Abstracts/papers may not be submitted to any conference without prior written notification to the resident physician chair. After approval, the co-authors must be informed of the submission.

  2. Journal Submissions: Papers may NEVER be submitted to any journal without explicit written approval from the MLS resident physician chairs. This approval must be obtained at least 48 hours before intended submission.

  3. Multiple Submissions: Simultaneous submission to multiple venues is prohibited without MLS approval.

Financial Obligations

Publication Fees:

  1. Publication Fees: Split equally among all medical student authors.

  2. Payment Methods: Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal to be sent to the first author or APC Collections Officer(s), who will forward payment to the submitter.

  3. Deadlines: Payments must be made within 24 hours of request unless prior approval for an alternative arrangement is granted.

  4. Exceptions: If you cannot use the accepted payment methods, you must inform the first author immediately upon being assigned to a project.

  5. Receipts are readily available for any participants requesting receipt of journal payment.

Additional Costs:

  1. Conference registration fees (if applicable) are covered by individual authors.

  2. Travel and accommodation costs for presentations are an individual’s responsibility.

Authorship Standards

Author Order Determination:

  1. Initial Order: Based on expected contribution and responsibility level

  2. Order Changes: May occur based on:

    • Quality and extent of actual contributions

    • Professional conduct and communication

    • Adherence to deadlines and standards

    • Overall project engagement

  3. Finalization: Once submitted to a journal, author order typically cannot be changed

Authorship Criteria:

To maintain authorship, contributors must:

  1. Make substantial intellectual contributions to the work

  2. Participate in drafting or critical revision

  3. Provide final approval of the version to be published

  4. Agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work

Performance Evaluation:

  1. First authors must provide regular feedback to resident physician editor about author performance

  2. Exceptional performance may result in authorship promotion

  3. Inadequate performance may result in demotion

Editorial Relationships and Oversight

Resident Editor Interaction:

  1. Regular Communication: Top 3 authors must maintain progress updates with the resident physician or communications officer (DLS)

  2. Editor Assignment: If no resident editor is assigned by MLS, the first author must secure appropriate oversight

  3. Editorial Authority: Resident physician editor(s) have final authority on content quality and readiness for submission

  4. Financial Responsibility: Resident or attending editors are not responsible for publication fees unless they offer to contribute. If they choose to help with the fees, that is voluntary.

Mentorship Expectations:

  1. Authors should actively seek feedback and guidance from editors

  2. Constructive criticism should be received professionally and incorporated appropriately

  3. Editors' expertise and time should be respected and utilized efficiently

Data Management and Confidentiality

Data Handling:

  1. All research data must be stored securely and in compliance with institutional requirements

  2. Access to sensitive data is restricted to authorized project members only

  3. Data sharing outside the project team requires explicit approval from MLS leadership (i.e. revision from a third party)

Confidentiality:

  1. Unpublished research findings may not be shared outside the project team

  2. Discussion of ongoing projects in public forums or social media is prohibited

  3. Patient data (if applicable) must be handled according to HIPAA requirements

Professional Development and Recognition

Learning Opportunities:

  1. Authors are encouraged to attend relevant conferences and workshops

  2. MLS may provide educational resources and training opportunities

  3. Mentorship relationships should be cultivated and maintained professionally

Recognition and Awards:

  1. Outstanding contributions may be recognized through MLS awards programs

  2. Publication achievements will be celebrated and promoted appropriately

  3. Professional references may be provided for exceptional participants

Dispute Resolution

Conflict Resolution Process:

  1. Initial Level: Direct communication between involved parties

  2. Second Level: Mediation through first author or resident physician editor

  3. Final Level: Review by MLS Professionalism Committee

Acknowledgment of Understanding and Agreement

I have read, understood, and agree to abide by all requirements outlined in this attestation form. I understand that participation in MedLink Scholars research projects is a privilege that requires the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and collaboration.

I acknowledge that:

  • Failure to meet these obligations may result in immediate removal from projects and permanent disqualification from future opportunities

  • My conduct reflects on both MLS and my medical school

  • These standards are in place to maintain the quality and reputation of MLS research

  • I am responsible for staying current with any updates to these policies